JAYanthem blog

Came across this great article in the NY Times (through Get Rich Slowly) about how you have limited willpower to exercise self-restraint in your life. So for example if you are using a great deal of willpower to get on a daily exercise routine then you may slip up on your attempts at eating healthy or spending less. I think this speaks to why I read time and again not to try and conquer the world all at once. Luckily that point was driven into me when at the start of this year I decided to make some changes in my life. Specifically Leo from ZenHabits is always talking about not trying to accomplish too many goals at one time because you could become overwhelmed and lose focus. If you focus on one at a time and put all your energy into it then you will succeed and that success will carry you on to future goals and achievements.

Now with that said, just as the NY Times article states, once you have you have achieved some success with your goals then your willpower will increase. You ability to successfully exercise self-restraint in one area will help with your future goals that require more self-restraint. I find this to be absolutely 100% true in my own life so I guess with willpower the old saying remains true: “practice makes perfect!”